Cabinet approves assured 50% of salary as pension for govt employees
New Delhi, Aug 24: Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an assured 50 per cent of salary as pension for 23 lakh government employees who joined service under the National Pension System (NPS).
The National Pension System is applicable for government employees joining the service after April 1, 2004. It was based on the premise of contribution rather than defined benefit applicable for employees prior to the NPS.
Announcing Cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) announced that government employees will now be eligible to get 50 per cent of the average basic pay drawn over the last 12 months before the superannuation as pension.
For this full pension or 50 per cent of pay as the pension, he said, the eligibility service length will be 25 years.
However, he said, it would be proportionate for a lesser service period up to a minimum of 10 years of service.
NPS subscribers can now opt for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), which offers assured pension applicable from the beginning of the next financial year.
Last year, the finance ministry set up a committee under Finance Secretary TV Somanathan to review the pension scheme for government employees and suggest any changes, if needed, in light of the existing framework and structure of the National Pension System.
Several non-BJP-ruled states have decided to revert to the DA-linked Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and also employee organisations in some other states have raised demand for the same.
Briefing media, Cabinet Secretary-designate TV Somanathan said the new scheme is applicable from April 1, 2025.
The benefits of the Unified Pension Scheme are applicable for those retired and retiring till March 31, 2025, with arrears, he added.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
